Thomas j



(No Model.)

T. J. WALDEN.

LINK MOTION FOR ENGINE VALVES. N0. 307,245.

'Pa ten'ted 0cf. 28,1884.

. INVENTON! WITNESSES .W M u J45! v S V ZWMC) V ATTORNEYS.

M PETERS- PMO-MDMY- Wank-flown 0.3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. \VALDEN, OF LEBANON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND PETER MORRIS, OF SAME PLACE.

LINK-MOTION FOR ENGINE-VALVES.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,245, dated October 28, 1884.

Application filed May 2:2, 1884. (No model.)

. tion.

exhaust the steam.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effieient valve-motion for slidevalve engines, by means of which the steamsupply may be cut off or varied at will, according to the load on the engine.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

' Figure l is a side elevation of an ordinary slide-valve engine with my improvement applied; and Fig. 2 isran enlarged sectional plan viewtaken on the line .r x, Fig. 1.

The letter A indicates the steam-cylinder; B, the piston-rod; O, the connectingrod, D, the crank-shaft of an ordinary slide-valve englue.

E is the eccentric, fitted, as usual, on the crank-shaft D; and F is the valve-rod, which passes through a stufling-box, f, on the steamchest G and works the valve (not shown), over the ports of the cylinder A to admit and The engine-valve may have any suitable construction.

Instead of connecting the rod Hof the strap of the eccentric E directly to the valve-rod F, so that the valve shall be moved directly by the movement of the eccentric, I connect the outer end of thevalverod to a block, I, which is suitably held by a nut, i, so as to slide in a slot, J, ranging about vertically through a link, K, which is pivoted below, at In, to the engine-bed L, and so as to be rocked in the plane of motion of the engine-valve to move the valve over the cylinder-ports, and as the valve is moved the block I slides in the linkslot J, so as not to throw the valve-rod F out of line and cause undue wear 011 its stuffing-box or disturb the even travel of the valve.

Above the slot J the link K has a slot, M, curved in the sweep of a circle described by the block N, which enters the slot, and has a shoulder, a, coming against one face of the link, so that when the nut O is screwed upon the bolt n at the opposite side of the link the block N will be clamped firmly to the link, and the shoulder a of the bolt will be drawn against the block, and the head of the bolt n will hold the end of the connecting-rod H to the block and leave the rod free to rock on the bolt as the rod ,is moved back and forth by the eccentric. It is evident that if the block N is moved upward in the slot M the travel of the valve will be lessened or shortened, and if the block is moved downward the travel of the valve will be increased or lengthened, thereby cutting off the steanr supply earlier or later in the stroke of the piston.

The link-connection with the eccentric and valve-rods constitute a cut-off variable at will by simply adjusting the block N in the linkslot M as the work demanded of the engine shall require, thereby preventing the waste of steam caused by the uniform travel of .the valve when it is connected directly to the cocentric.

My improvement also facilitates the starting of the engine without turning over the fly-wheel by hand, as the block N may be loosened and may drop to the bottom of the slot M, and the steam then be turned on, when the engine will start slowly, whereupon the block N may be raised and fastened by the nut O at the desired height, and without stopping the engine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the engine-valve rod F and eccentricrod H, of the link K, pivoted at its lower end to the engine-bed, said valverod being connected to the link by a block, I, slot J, and nut z, and the eccentricred, connecting with the link by a block, N, having a shoulder, a, between rod H and link K, slot M in the link K, bolt 02, having a shoulder, if, and passing through rod H and block N, and nut O, substantially as shown I00 and described.

THOMAS J. WALDEN.

Witnesses:

J. O. PEDIGO, Tnos. H. MARTIN. 

